HELP!!

[expecto patronum]

I know a lot of you already answered my post about dizziness before, but I would really appreciate any more advice etc. from people who have had this constant dizziness but got over it, as I'm finding it hard to believe that it will ever go. I was reading violentsociety's post yesterday and the replies from Daisybun and lu03cr saying that they had had it for 20 and 23 years! I really feel for them as its bad enough having had it for 3 months and I don't know how they can have coped for so long, but anyway it really scared me.

[chucklehound]

Hi Rossie, I had constant dizziness and although it hasn't gone completely I only get it now when I am feeling really anxious.

Hope it settles down for you soon:D

Take care

Chuckle

xxxx

[Daisybun]

Hi rossie, I had dizziness on and off over 20 years hun, not constantly! Don't worry, you will get over it. I was diagnosed with vertigo 20 years ago, i took pills to help, ginger can help too, motion sickness pills can also help. But the secret for me was doing balance retraining. I went to see a balance therapist and he explained why i was dizzy. Tension, in my neck and shoulders. i had to first of all try and relax these by exercising them. Secondly, when you get dizzy you tend to keep your head still and not do moves that bring on dizzy feelings, e.g bending down, the sink in the hair dressers, dentists chairs, i couldn't lie flat or on my right side! Pegging out washing or putting stuff in a trolley could set me off. So i avoided making these moves as much as possible, and when I was dizzy/spaced out i would keep my head still and cause more tension! You get a vicious circle going, the tension decreases the blood supply to the balance mechanism in the ear. I had to do exercises that made me move my head and do moves that would set off the dizziness in a controlled way that would help retrain my brain to accept being dizzy and correct itself! i hope that explains it better, sorry if i scared you by saying I had it 20 years! It's been 4 years since I did the training and i am dizzy very rarely now, if i do get dizzy i just do the exercises and i am right as rain within hours, rather than weeks as before. Please PM me if you want any more info.

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

[carol1969]

Remember the dizziness is a side effect to your panic attacks and thats all, i too suffer with dizziness when im panicky. See your doctor who will probally prescribe you meds. I have been taking cipramil for a week and im already starting to feel more relaxed. The only problem is the tablets make you dizzy for the first few days but if you can get through that then you will start to feel more relaxed. Medication only masks the problem but it gives your body a well deserved break from anxiety which i think we all need from time to time. The last time i took cipramil i felt great after a couple of months but i stopped taking it too quick because i felt better and the doc says you should take it for at least six months for it too help.

love Carol x

[expecto patronum]

Hi thanks 4 the replies. I think I understand now, I wasn't sure about the neck muscle thing before for the same reason that I wasn't sure when people said it could be because of bad breathing, which is that I have had tension and breathing problems for years. But how I think it must work is that because I am so foccussed on the dizzy sensations I am sort of overreacting to tiny movements of my head and in response tightening the muscles subconsciously? I don't feel worse when I move my head a lot (so does that mean it can't be ear-related?) but my theory on that is that I feel ok when I intentionnally move my head because I know that I'm doing it/I am controlling it. Does that make any sense?! Its like when I'm in the car or cycling; its ok for my body to feel movement then because it IS moving, hence I feel a bit calmer when travelling

[hayles]

DAsiey bun - Was you balance therapy the alexander technique?

Hay x

[expecto patronum]

I've been on the Royal Deaf Society website and apparently its not just your ears, eyes and neck muscles that play a part; you have balance sensors in all of your joints, so the whole balance system is very complex and sensitive. I'm going to the doctor's tommorrow and am going to insist this time that I am referred to a specialist for tests and to a balance therapist (the last two times he wouldn't even examine my ears!)

[chucklehound]

Good luck with the Drs tomorrow Rossie!

Take care

Chuckle

xxxx

[expecto patronum]

Thanks. He agreed to refer me for ENT tests, but claimed he had no balance therapist that he could refer me to. Daisybun, how did you get your balance therapist?